Re-reading your post you said" they would push them through".
Physically touching and pushing someone is all I see there in that post. No wonder I thought someone was getting physical as you described that old haunt you attended, along with the "yelling and intimidation", sounded like a place where fists would eventually be flying. (not good for throughput. Police tend to slow everything down.)

"Hey there Son! What are you doing standing behind your stalled car out here in the middle of nowhere?"
"It quit, I'm pushing it off to the side of the road."
"Don't you have to actually touch your car to push it?"
"Oh?"

and to guide your car would mean.....wish I had mind powers...lol... The things I could yeah...lol the evil things I would do.... or X-ray vision ( selective x-ray vision to be specific ) Its better not to see everything ya know....lol.... okay maybe I used to harsh of words .... please substitute hoot and holler for yelling....wow, or substitute guide for pusher....troubled childhood ? I think scary should include intimidating though.... unless of course it includes any act of violence or yelling of course. Hmmm... Yoga mat out yet? lol.... good..... can't speak from experience but they say something called a reverse morning sun calms and reduces stress...

I guess that I have intimidated some customers by simply dropping that big steel bar across the door as they enter my house?
I actually do that so I won't be intimidated by some "Ya-hoo-Idiot " forcing the door open in the middle of the afternoon and walking into my bedroom as I am asleep in pursuit of satisfying their curiosity.
I like subtle forms of intimidating people, like speaking clearly (sometimes even quickly) and using multi-syllable words.
Of course these particulair "words" must make some kind of sense usually and remain in a recognisable order, at least recognisable to ME!

I remember back when I had first seen your place in a magazine, I headnt heard of it untill then but when I saw the photos I thought " WOW " this guy is cRaZy....( in a good way ) Jim, I havent had the chance to check your place out but I sware "One Of These Days"...... yes, I have to do it....I bet you are very entertaining.... hell I remember I was parking at Transworld a few years back and I saw one of your vehicles in the parking lot. I was in awe, it made me feel like a kid. Your awsome in my book, keep on being you and dont let anyone change ya.... HELL YEAH

HAAHAHA! Compared to almost everyone on this site , you are all "kids"!
I'm 59 YEARS old!
You have to maintain your youth. Tonight after supper I was in the parking lot playing Frisbie with my wife (throwing the Frisbie, not her!)
I have to admit tossing the Frisbie around was her idea but then you know how those 13 year old girls can be!

The main complaints I have always heard about October haunts from my customers is that they were rushed through, didn't get to see anything because of the other customers either in their way or pushing them through and that too many people were bunched together so the attempted scare was seen by everyone when it happened the first time.
These complaints ALL sound like a decent guide could cure most of these complaints most of the time, thereby giving your customers a much better, less frustrating memory of the place.
Maybe some large haunts in heavilly populated areas don't care if the customers come back?
My wallet cares even if sometimes after a cranky cheap-skate potential customer I don't feel that I should care.

different haunts, different atmosphere, different throughput..... what works for you may not work for all.... what works for all may not work for you. Some haunts run them in and out as fast as they can while others let the patrons control their speed.... hell, some haunts are so damn scary that they have to slow the patrons down !! pushers and guides might be needed in different atmospheres, in the wrong atmosphere they can be a nuisance to the patron...

.... I think a guide is needed to keep people moving in most haunts ?

Jim, in your haunt you are the guide if Im correct..... and you are entertainment along the way because you have stories about your house and whatnot?? I dont know just guessing.... Which I think is cool in its own.... Im interested in checking your house out if we are ever in the Chicago area again....

"I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but Iím not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant."

For the last 5? seasons I have been very fortunate to have had very good guides since I can not do it all in the fall.
They are adept at controlling and entertaining the groups. they even make up most of their own dialog, of course they all discovered years ago the cheap, guaranteed laughs will come when they say goofy insulting things about me!
In-season on weekends I only get to do about 10 to 12 minutes in the front room, sometimes I will also get to do the second room, but not always.
I miss the fun, mostly then.....